Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Equanimity

Equanimity - they say that it is the ultimate goal to be reached. We are programmed to feel happy if we get what we want and sad if we don't get what we want or if we lose what we want. This is our natural programming, so how can we attain equanimity!!! Should we even attempt to? Is that not like the lion trying to become vegan? I do not have the mental make up to be able to follow teachings, and I am not ashamed to admit it. I have to know why the teaching is a certain way. So, there was a long time that this whole equanimity theory did not make any sense to me. Lately, there has been an understanding - equanimity can come only if I know that my responses are programmed responses and they depend on conditions. There is no self that can control responses here. If responses are empty, why get attached to them? Mind you, it is very easy to write this and extremely difficult to put in practice, but I think this is helping me a lot to grasp equanimity.

2 comments:

  1. Some thoughts~
    It might be that our natural programming has been corrupted by causes and conditions making them unreliable.
    Equanimity might not be something you can go straight at, but rather reach by indirect means.
    Mostly I have heard that it is a practice of letting go.

    Yours in practice,
    Jordan

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  2. Thanks for your comments, Jordan. Definitely equanimity needs letting go..I often wonder about natural programming but have not been able to reach any conclusion.

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